Leaving on a Jetplane

Everything today went all too fast. I headed out to terminal 4 of Heathrow in the morning and before I knew it I was engaged in a game to turn a seatless ticket on an overbooked flight into a $200 Delta voucher and a much better timetable with an aisle seat. It pays to be proactive, flexible and friendly to the gate agents. I'd planned to pick up gifts at the airport but instead was only able to snag a few bags of Cadbury's at the news agent. Sorry everyone at home! My new flight meant a quick departure.

It's too soon to really process all that this Fulbright journey has meant. I think my only regret is that had a bad end in that there was no chance to say goodbye. I saw a few colleagues in passing at the airport but it just seems abrupt to have been a part of this group nearly 24/7 for 3 weeks then disperse into our own different worlds as if it never happened. What strikes me is that this is how these things go. I know that. I predicted these feelings would come before I ever left the US. But it doesn't change the re-entry process. There is something special about being part of a group abroad.

The End of the Road

We had a series of meetings this morning but it was honestly hard to concentrate because I am so excited to go home and see my family. At the same time I am sad to say goodbye to my 19 other travel companions. We have spent nearly 14 hours a day together for the past 3 weeks. That is a lot of time to spend with anyone. These strangers have become friends and really helped to make the experience all that it was. 

In the afternoon we had a tour of Edinburgh Castle and I was so tired I only took a single photo (out a portion of the castle wall)

Afterward we took a cab back to the hotel and split off into groups. In the hustle and bustle those of us who booked a flight never got the chance to say goodbye to the group riding the bus from Edinburgh to London. They pulled out just as we got there. I am hoping that I can reunite with some in the morning here at the hotel.

The 5 of us that did fly enjoyed spending a little more time together and having a leisurely dinner. The flight was somewhat delayed but it still beat an 8 hour (or longer) bus ride. We said our goodbyes here at the airport hotel just in case. 

Tomorrow I fly out of Heathrow in the afternoon. If all goes well I will get home around 11pm on Friday. I can't wait to see my family-- especially this little girl...

The University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is one of the "ancients" of Scotland. Founded in 1583...think about that for a second. It's really old :-) They are proud to share that Benjamin Franklin was given an honorary degree from Edinburgh. And of course they lay claim to Darwin, Higgs, Dolly the cloned sheep, Gordon Brown (please note these are not in an order intended to be political)... and so forth. 

Our morning consisted of a series of lectures about the institution. One thing that was mentioned, somewhat casually, was that they were celebrating 10 years as Scotland's 1st Fair Trade University. Everywhere we have gone there has been a huge emphasis on fair trade products. In fact, at Sterling they baked us fresh cookies and put out a sign noting that they were "Not Fair Trade Cookies" in case we were conscientious objectors. I do hope this is a peek into the future and that the social responsibility wave makes its way to North America with the same fervor.  I decided to look more into the concept of a Fair Trade University and found this website: www.scottishfairtradeforum.org.uk

After lunch we had the opportunity to tour Holyrood Palace, the Queen's official residence in Scotland (vs. Balmoral Castle, which is a private home~ It's good to be Queen!) This was a nice treat and a first for me. I enjoyed seeing some of the portraits and personal items. 

Afterward we toured Scottish Parliament. You would imagine this to be housed in a fancy old building but it is extremely modern. I didn't even take a picture. (sorry!) At the time of the visit they had a wonderful, but somewhat heart-wrenching, photography exhibit that captured most of my interest. You can see them online, but fair warning. It is a very real depiction of our world, including war and some other emotional triggers www.worldpressphoto.org/awards/2013

In just a bit we are headed out for dinner. They are giving us some time to explore the city and the Festival from 8pm onward. I thought I'd blog a bit earlier today to make sure I have time to pack up my ever-growing suitcase after dinner. Tomorrow I'll be leaving Edinburgh to fly down to London with a few other of the Fulbrighters. We opted to buy our own flights for 100 GBP rather than take the 8+ hour bus ride tomorrow night with everyone else. Instead of getting into London at 2 am, we fly out around 8:30 and arrive at our Heathrow hotel around 10 pm for a good last night of sleep. I hope this leaves me in better shape to arrive back to Indy in a reasonable condition. The constant moving, packing and lugging bags has me ready for a massage and a sleep in my own bed.

 

Last Stop Edinburgh

Today I will keep it short and sweet. We are coming to the end and losing a bit of steam, but still very excited to arrive in Edinburgh. We left Aberdeen around 9 am and made our way South. School #11 is the University of Edinburgh. I visited here in 2001 when I was a study abroad student but also have great memories of sending students there through the Study Abroad Foundation. It was a bit surreal to pull up to "Pollock Halls" where I'd previously arranged to house my SAF students.

After lunch time we checked in to our rooms (which were thankfully well-appointed) and had a bit of a rest before cleaning up for dinner. Some of the group took the down time as the chance to get out into the city. We are here during a really exciting time. Edinburgh hosts an international fringe festival every August. http://www.edfringe.com

Dinner was at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, hosted by both the Royal Society and the University of Edinburgh. Peter would be jealous to know we had lamb. I did not take any photos of anything today, for which I apologize. I think it is a sign of just how tired I am.  Everything has been spectacular but I just did not keep up with my photojournalism :-)

Tomorrow starts our sessions with Edinburgh. I have a feeling they are going to do a really wonderful job and live up to their reputation.  I'll try to get some shots for tomorrow's post. 

Dancing in Aberdeen

Today we got back into the swing of our sessions with Aberdeen. The topic was really unique -- international leadership development through training and professional development. They shared how the university has set in place a series of accredited training programs to help their faculty and staff learn how to improve their management style and move up within the ranks. The institution seems to have a real emphasis on promoting from within and retaining employees. They do a lot here at the institution, such as leadership training, coaching, mentoring, etc. But they also host an international leadership program, similar to our Fulbright experience. For example, soon they will send a team to the east coast of the US to visit Harvard and other universities so they can learn more about student development and improving the student experience. In the past they have had European trips to schools like Utrecht. 

We also had a nice campus tour with a great (and funny) tour guide. I still can't believe the university was founded in 1495!

I need to hang this up in my office :-)

We had a dinner in the Great Hall here on campus. Afterward they invited in the student dance group and a Ceilidh band called Danse Macabre http://www.danse-mccabre.co.uk/index.html 

It was a load of fun but LOTS of work. We were so sweaty afterwards. And we had a great laugh at ourselves. 

On a non-Fulbright note, one of my colleagues here helped me explore a potential dissertation topic over lunch. I am pretty excited about it. Since today is actually the first day of classes back at Ball State, this was perfectly timed. This semester I will be crafting my research proposal and writing for my comprehensive exams. Most of the folks on this program have already completed a Ph.D. or Ed.D. so I try to collect words of wisdom whenever I can. Even during my university visits I try to keep an eye out for inspiration. 

One of the key things I took away was from Imperial College (our shortest stop). There I learned it is critical you have the ability to describe your research area to a non-academic in a simple "elevator speech". That seems fairly straightforward, but it was really groundbreaking. The topics I'd considered before were interesting to me and helpful to the field, but every time I tried to explain it to someone...the lady next to me on the airplane, a colleague on this program... I found myself tongue-tied and incomprehensible. But with the new topic I find it simple and expansive at the same time. AND people respond to it. I hope it passes muster with my committee when I return :-)

Deeside Day

We had another day of cultural activities to give our brains a rest and rejuvenate. After breakfast our hosts from the University of Aberdeen came to greet us and come along on a day trip along the Dee River. It took us about 2 hours but we rode up into the Highlands to a town called Crathie, near Balmoral Castle where the Queen is currently in residence. 

Our first stop was Royal Lochnagar Malt Whiskey Distillery. We took a tour and did a tasting. I am not a huge fan but it is always need to see how they make it. The Distillery is literally the next door neighbor to the Queen. The only thing separating them is a bit of land, a hill, and all of her security detail :-)

Speaking of the Queen, as we left we could see the guards opening up the gate to let her Land Rover out to go pick her up at the church up the road. There were people gathered along the bridge to try to get a peep. I wanted to jump out and join them. Rumor has it that Prince Harry has been spotted and some even say that the Royal Baby George is around. I doubt the second part. There would likely be more media around if that were the case.  Either way, I snapped a quick picture of the gate and her church as we whooshed by on our coach.

This part of the country is truly beautiful and would be great for hiking, biking or even just a nice drive in a convertible. It is so peaceful. We happened to get some great weather. 

On our way back we stopped at Crathes Castle for some tea & cake and a tour. The unique thing about the castle is that the family was living there up until the 60's when they had a fire. Yet still today they keep family pictures in a room so you can see what they are all up to. In 2005 they had a family wedding there in the gardens. It was an Alice in Wonderland theme, complete with costumed characters. 

I'm trying to call it a night early so I can prepare for a long but productive day of meetings tomorrow. Our theme is Leadership, Management & International Development. 

Weekend in Aberdeen

Robert Gordon University had great foresight in planning a day of cultural activities and leaving us to some much-needed free time. We have been going with such intensity that we all just needed some time to relax, reflect and take it all in. They hired a blue badge tour guide to take us on a coach ride around the city, providing some history and context. We are actually staying on the campus of the University of Aberdeen. So we started there.

One of the bus tour highlights was stopping to walk around a small fishing village on the outskirts of Aberdeen. Each home was once owned by fishermen and their families. Now they look to be inhabited by artists and eclectics. See what you think...

I appreciate the fine examples of meerkat sculpture. 

Afterward we were invited to a private screening of Disney/Pixar's Brave. We loved it and a few of us were fairly close to tears. Great movie about a mother-daughter relationship. It made me fairly homesick for little Helen.

Speaking of family, we learned today that our fearless Fulbright Commission leader, Eilish, has to unexpectedly leave our group and return to Ireland for a family emergency. We were all so heartbroken. She has been so amazing and a load of fun. Our Fulbright family has really appreciated all that she contributed to holding this program together. I can't imagine what it is like on the other side of the planning. Our thoughts are with her.

(Re)Introducing Lady Kelly, Laird of Dunans

Today was my birthday. I have to say I am quite lucky in two ways. First, I am having the opportunity of a lifetime as a Fulbright participant in England and Scotland. Second, our hosts at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen gave us the most unique gift at dinner...a decorative title of land ownership. Mine is Lady Kelly Jean Kirkwood of Dunans. Such a fun clever gift that supports the restoration of a castle. Now to get my frequent flyer account name changed to see if I can get upgrades :)

Robert Gordon University is really unique in that it is not like any category of institution we have in the United States. It is focused on vocational and professional education. So while it has some of the fields we might see in our 2 year institutions (medical technology) it also has architecture, business and engineering. They have very close ties to the oil and petroleum industry since Aberdeen is booming with job growth in that area. They have fantastic looking buildings and seem very much to be a rapidly expanding institution. They are very proud of their job placement statistics and see business and industry as the customer rather than the student. That does not mean that they don't care about students, but their goal is to get students placed. 

One thing I found particularly unique is that they use volunteer "patients" for their nursing students and have them conduct intake sessions. Then the patients evaluate the experience in terms of patient-client interaction. This seems like a great way to impart some of the soft skills that are important in the medical field. I am not sure if this sort of thing is done in the U.S. nursing programs, but it seems like a wonderful approach.

We are excited to have the chance to stay for 3 nights in the same accommodation. All of the moving is taking a toll. This weekend has been planned out but allows for some much needed free time. I can't wait to explore the city. 

Arrival in Scotland

I won't lie. I woke up last night to a peculiar bump in the night that made it hard to go back to sleep. Not sure if it was my wandering mind, the tolling of the Cathedral bells or knowing we had to wake for a 7 am departure, but I did not sleep well.

We said our goodbyes and headed north. The University of Stirling welcomed us with homemade treats and a local soda in our gift bags. It was so sweet--literally and figuratively.  We had a series of sessions on the internationalization strategy at Stirling and general differences between the English and Scottish systems of higher education. Most notable, they have a 4 year degree and charge English students at the international rate, but cannot do so for EU countries because of rules on equity. We also had a bit of a chance to hear about the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence.

Stirling reminds me a bit of Ball State in that they have strong sports programs and a commitment to applied social sciences. They also have a school of education. Campus is beautiful, with lush greenery and shiny new (looking) buildings for sports. They even have a lake and a small castle undergoing renovation. Out my hotel window I can see the William Wallace Memorial. I don't know how to put my finger on it, but there is just a general sense that the two schools have much in common.

After our sessions they loaded us up on a coach and took us for a private tour of Sterling Castle. Our guide was great and had a nice thick Scottish accent :-) The views from the castle were amazing. It was such a treat to have the place to ourselves and even a specially-arranged welcome from a bagpiper. Dinner afterward was in a nice restaurant by a small loch. The school arranged to have special whiskey sets made commemorating the visit. We have all decided our pants are not going to fit at the end of the program from all the good food they keep feeding us. 

You had me at Bill Bryson

I have to stray from my normal post structure today to share how truly amazing this leg of the visit has been. I have had a wonderful experience at each and every institution but something at the University of Durham has really captivated me. Yes, living in a castle has helped! But there is something about the   people that makes it truly special. This place exudes distinction, while still maintaining a sense of humility and good humor.  I have the utmost confidence that graduates of the University of Durham are everything we hope for in the "well rounded" graduate. 

I attribute much of this impression to their system of Oxbridge style Colleges. Students apply not only to the university but to one of the residential colleges here on campus. The castle is actually home to University College. Unlike our residence halls, colleges incorporate many different aspects of academic and student life. They have their own sports teams, formal dinners and activities as you would find in US Greek Life (including their own bars ::gasp::). They have volunteerism and societies as you would find in our Student Life. And they have scholars-in-residence to provide mentorship and inspiration. As best as I can describe, the organically achieve all that we attempt through our Student Affairs Division, but in a very student-led community-oriented way. 

All first years are required to live-in. During the second year many students move out, but still remain a part of the community. In the third year students typically move back in to the College. The distribution of students is carefully managed to achieve a balance of academic level and discipline. It provides a sort of natural order, whereby younger students are welcomed and mentored by older students. Each College has a strong sense of identity. I would love to help bring our Student Affairs in Higher Education Administration students here some day just to spark their creative juices. They even have an International Education Masters Program here.

On a practical level, our day consisted of the perfect balance of learning, sharing and cultural engagement. We started off learning more about the institution, including the fun fact that my favorite author, Bill Bryson, was the Chancellor from 2005-2011. We then had a tour of the Cathedral and a visit to the Lindisfarne Gospels, the first translation of the Bible into English in around 700 A.D. To give you an idea of how delicate the vellum pages are, the illuminated text can only be on display for 3 months in dim light. Then they must be rested for a period of time before another display. More on the Gospels here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-22982378 

We had a bit of down time to get ready for our gallery reception and dinner in the Great Hall. I got all dressed up and imagined I was a princess in my turret of the castle :-)  There is really nothing that compares. Everyone looked wonderful and was beaming ear to ear.  Dinner was magnificent and the company was great. I stayed far past dessert visiting with 2 members of the international office staff and an International Law professor. Once again, I felt this sense of comfort and welecome being here. I hated to tear myself away to come back to my room and pack for an early departure.

One more order of business...

Helen-- if you are reading this one day I need to you to know you must attend the University of Durham. :-)

Castle Life Commences

Hello Durham! You can't go wrong when you lodge the Fulbright group in an actual castle. I can't really even describe the experience so I will just post pictures today. The only downside was finding a way to get 50 lbs. of luggage up 105 steps to the top of the turret... 

We had time to relax and pull our jaws off the ground before heading out to a great little Italian restaurant for great conversation and brick oven pizza. 

If these photos are any indicator, our stay will be well appointed...

Walking over the bridge from the student union to campus

Once across the bridge 

Heading into "Our Castle"

Linn got the magic key to the suite 

View of the Great Hall out my window of the castle 

And the view of the cathedral from the other window

Then dinner

Cathedral at night ::swoon::

And Home Sweet Castle :-)

Halfway! University of York

The theme for today was "internationalization in higher education and the vital role of support staff". We heard a series of lectures from the Director of Internationalization, the Academic Registrar (more similar to our VP of Student Affairs role), the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and the General Manager of the Graduate Students' Association. I left with pages full of notes about the creative ways in which they are layering their internationalization efforts and leveraging their sister-city connection to Nanjing, China. 

Some examples:

- They conduct service staff cultural training (ex. catering) to help them better understand the needs of the international students and their own inherent cultural values. They even took it as far as exchanging chefs with their sister institution in Nanjing. 

- The York Award was developed to recognize student excellence in co-curricular activities and skills development. Students earn points from study abroad, volunteerism, internships, etc. The interesting thing is that participation alone does not earn them the award. They must pass an oral exam where they are required to present evidence of their skills. Selling yourself doesn't cut it. You must explain what you learned through the co-curriculars. This helps to distinguish between "doing and learning". Check it out at http://www.york.ac.uk/study/careers-skills/york-award  

- They use Skype to connect international alumni to Career Services so alumni can train career advisors on how the job search process differs by country. This helps their career staff better assist international students who wish to return home for jobs and it brings about a general sense of global awareness.

- They hold a graduation ceremony in China for the international students from that country. It allows their families to take part in the celebration. 

After lunch and a group photo we took a double decker city bus into the city center of York. We met up with the Yorkshire Museum Director, Science City York, a representative from the City of York Council, York's Adult Education Director, and other representatives. They told us how they have been able to promote York as a destination for tourism and a place for new business growth. As someone married to Indy's "Mr. Sister City" I was really interested to hear how their partnership with Nanjing had equally strong connections in the business community. I have lots of ideas to share with Peter.

We were very thankful to be let loose into the city for sometime to explore. A small group of us decided to climb up to the top of the city wall and take this great walk around the perimeter of the city. The narrow walkways gave magnificent views and a totally different perspective of the town. It was a real treat and a total surprise. At the end of the wall we descended into narrow streets in an area called "The Shambles". The old bowing buildings almost touch. We happened upon a great antiques store and a local soap shop. 

When our time was up we headed over to St. Helen's Square for a reception hosted in York Mansion House by the Right Honourable Lord Mayor Julie Gunnell. What a mansion! Sipping wine with a view of the York Minster out the old wavy glass windows felt a bit posh for a study abroad advisor. But she was so gracious, fun and welcoming that we felt right at home. She opened up her dining room just to show us around and tell about hosting guests like the Queen. The Lord Mayor is an elected position from the City Council with a one year term. The only other Lord Mayor is of London. She is the 9th woman in this role. Technically she is in line for the throne, although "practically a millionth" according to her-- but was good humored enough to high-five Jay when he suggested that at least she is in line. I loved meeting her and could tell what a true love she has for York and public service.